About this tour
A 2.5-hour hands-on cooking class in Satoru's Shinjuku apartment where you'll learn to prepare 2–3 Japanese dishes from scratch, then eat them at his dining table. You'll meet at JR Shinjuku Station and walk to his home together. Menus vary by day of the week—sushi on Saturdays, donburi or bento on weekends—and you'll receive a Japanese kitchen utensil and ingredient to take home so you can recreate the dishes yourself.
Highlights
- Cook 2–3 dishes from scratch in a local's home kitchen
- Share local alcohol and home-style meal at Satoru's dining table
- Menus rotate: sushi Saturdays, donburi/bento Sunday–Tuesday
- Receive a Japanese utensil and ingredient as a take-home gift
- Meet at JR Shinjuku Station; walk together to the apartment
- Vegetarian options and dietary requirements accommodated with notice
- Seasonal menu variations reflect what's available at market
What to expect
You'll meet Satoru outside JR Shinjuku Station, then walk together to his apartment in central Shinjuku. Once there, he'll guide you through preparing 2–3 dishes, sharing stories about Japanese life and food culture as you cook. The class is hands-on, so you'll do the preparation and cooking yourself. Once everything is ready, you'll sit down at his dining table to eat the meal you've made, accompanied by 1–2 glasses of local alcohol. Before you leave, Satoru will give you a Japanese kitchen utensil and a favourite ingredient to take home so you can recreate the dishes later.
What travellers say
- Intimate, private class in a real home setting, not a commercial kitchen
- Satoru shares cultural context and stories alongside cooking technique
- Take-home gift and ingredients let you replicate dishes at home
- Flexible on dietary needs if you give a week's notice
- Meal and drinks included; you eat what you've cooked
- Menu locked in if you don't request changes seven days ahead
- No hotel pickup; you meet at the station and walk to apartment
- Small stroller-unfriendly spaces in older Tokyo apartments possible
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This suits anyone curious about Japanese home cooking and Japanese daily life—no prior kitchen skill needed. The experience works well for solo travellers, couples and small groups. Infants and small children can attend if you bring a pram or stroller. Bear in mind: you meet at the station and walk to the apartment (no hotel pickup included), and the menu is fixed by day unless you notify Satoru at least one week in advance—late bookings will mean cooking whatever is scheduled for that day. Vegetarian options are available if you request them early. The class includes local alcohol but no transport back to your hotel; public transport is nearby if you need it. Groups appear to be small and private.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BookNow summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.